Lajai Webster, then 16, was on his way to school on Dec. 12 about 8:30 a.m., when he lost control while passing a vehicle in a no-passing zone on McMilly Road.

Webster’s vehicle ran into the path of a vehicle driven by Rita Alford.

Alford was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her passenger, Erin West, 30, was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

Brunswick County District Court Judge Jerry Jolly sentenced Webster to 18 months probation, with 60 days in jail suspended.

Webster was also ordered to pay $1,722 in funeral costs and lab fees, attend both defensive-driving school and a class in the Street Safe Program, and he must speak about his accident before 10 defensive-driving classes.

On the whole it can be perceived that the Judge has made a solomon decision about this teenager. His decision reflects his belief that this person will not be a future threat the the public at large. And still grounds the invidual with a punishment that is not easy to dismiss. He may have made a correct ruling.

But if this teenager ever kills a person again using a motor vehicle, the judge should lose his job, just like every body else that screws up. But, unfortunately, judges are not held accountable for bad judgment. One can only hope that someone with the power to make a difference will one day hold judges accountable for the bad decisions they make against an unforgiving public.

Erin West is my daughter and the passenger in this accident. Erin has had 3 major surgeries and lost half her colon and intestines because of Lajai Webster choices on December 12, 2011. Lajai Webster wasn’t charge with anything related to what he did to Erin, therefore, all her pain and suffering is just that. Pain and suffering. Erin’s doctor bills are over $268,000 dollars. If it had not been from her BCBS insurance through her previous employer I don’t know what she would have done. Yes her previous employer. She lost her job because of this accident. She still owes over $70,000 in doctor bills that weren’t covered by insurance. Lajai Webster only had $30,000 of insurance coverage which is the minimum in NC. I would say that he got off pretty darn light considering he killed a woman with kids and almost killed Erin while breaking the law. I thought passing in a no passing zone was a law but he wasn’t charge with that either. He got 18 months’ probation and driving classes. Oh yeah, he has to pay less than $1800. I hope he wakes up every day and thinks about what he did, not only to Rita and her family but to Erin. Erin struggles every day to eat and hold down food because of what he did. She has to deal with seeing a friend die in that car right before her eyes. She has a 14 inch scare on her stomach as a reminder of that day and how close she came to lossing her life due to no fault of her own. December 12, 2011 changed her life forever and I can only hope it changed his.

About This Blog

Welcome to Legal Briefs, where you will find all kinds of information about the happenings in southeastern North Carolina’s court systems. The blog will cover cases in the federal Eastern District of North Carolina and in Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover counties. Whether it’s an arraignment, trial, sentencing or some other court proceeding, Legal Briefs will keep you informed and up to date.

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F.T. Norton, courts reporter, came to the Wilmington StarNews from the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, Nev., where she covered courts and cops for more than a decade.

Before that, F.T. was an active-duty Army public information specialist.

The mother of twins in their senior year of high school, F.T.. fancies herself a news junkie and true crime fanatic. In her off time she surfs the internet, watches too much reality TV and yells a lot at her weinerjacks, (half-dachshund/half-Jack Russell) Lucy and Moose.